Apparatus for melting snow



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

PIATTI. APPARA 0R MELTING SNOW. No. 540,026. Patented May 28, 1895.

R N r E 7 ffey NfEN/lim' (No Model.) 2 SheetS-Shet 2.

P. J. PIATTI. APPARATUS FOR MBLTING snow.

Nokvsmoze. Patented May 28, 1895.

WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

PAUL J. PIATTI, OF WOODSIDE, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR MELTING SNOW.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,026, dated May 28, 1895.

Application filed March 21,1895. Serial No. 542,594- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL J. PIATTI, a cili zen of the United States, residing at Woodside, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Melting Snow, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for melting snow, which is provided with a melting-box whereto the snow is carried from the streets, the object of the same being to furnish a practical and (while expensive at first) in the long run, inexpensive apparatus for the purpose of quickly melting and reducing to water the snow gathered from the streets and discharging the water through the outlet-pipe of the apparatus directly into the sewer. Each apparatus consists of a complete stationary plant, one of which may be set up within a certain area so as to melt and reduce to water the snow taken from such area. In a large city it is preferable to arrange the apparatus in connection with the boiler of some building heated by steam or hot water, as for instance a school building.

My invention consists of a melting-box which is preferably built within masonry arranged below the side-walk, near the gutter, in such a position as to make it, convenient for the dumping therein of the contents of the cart such box being jacketed so as to provide a space between it and the jacket for the reception of hot water which is pumped thereinto by means of a pump arranged in an adjoining building. The box is provided with a plurality of inwardly-projecting nipples from which the hot water is injected diboiler that furnishes the heat for the build-- ing and from which feed-water heater the veryhot water is conducted through a supply-pipe connected with the jacket of the melting-box. At a certain level the box is provided with an outlet-pipe which discharges the main-portion of the melted snowinto the sewer. A float is preferably arranged in the tank, and is connected by means of a suitably guided chain or cable with an auxiliary pump,

so that should the overflow pipe not take off the surplusage from the tank as rapidly as required, the float will open the valve ,of the auxiliary pump to cause the same to be set.

into action and assist the-overflow-pipe in discharging the water in the tank into the sewer.

My invention also consists of certain other details of construction and combinations of of the same being shown broken away. Fig.

2 is a side elevation partly in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view, partly broken away, through the melting-box and its jacket, showing clearly the discharge-nipples.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, a, indicates the street; a, theline of the side-walk; a the wall ofthe adjoining building, within the cellar of which the working portions of the apparatus are arranged. The melting-box B is arranged within a masonry foundation B built below the sidewalk near the curbstone so that the removable covers B which rest within the rabbets formed in the inner corners of the stone coping B will be flush with the sidewalk. The melting-box is of approximately semi-cylindrical or trough-shape and is provided with a larger similarly-shaped outer jacket B which is firmly riveted or otherwise fastened to the melting-box and is supported by and solidly connected with the masonry B by means of bracket supports 13 Short necks 0 arranged at suitable intervals along building, which contains a suitable steam or hot water apparatus. The nozzle discharges into about the midlength of the upper portion of the tank D, which tank is provided with screens (1, 01', arranged near the opposite ends respectively, so as to divide the tank into three compartments, namely,D', D and D Leading from the lower part of the tank D, and communicating with the compartment D i-sapipeE which at its inner end is protected by a filter e, while at its outer end it is connected with the main-pump F, that is connected by means of a steam-supply pipef with the boiler found within the school or other building which is heated by steam or hot water, and which boiler for the purpose of an understanding of this invention is not necessary to be herein shown.

A short discharge-pipe f leads from the main-pump F into the chamber of a feed-water heater G of any preferred construction, -which feed water heater may be heated through the medium ofa coil garranged therein and suitably connected with the boiler. Not shown.

Extending from the upper part of the feedwater heater G is a supply-pipe H which is made in suitably jointed sections, extends through the wall a of the building and through the masonry B which supports the melting-box, and is connected with the jacket B around the melting-box, so that it may discharge the hotwater into the space between the jacket and the melting-box. Around the interior of the melting-box atits sides and ends are a large number of inwardly-projecting discharge nipples n which conduct the water from the space between the jacket and the box into the latter, so as to melt the snow therein. An overflow-pipeL leads from the upper part of the compartment D into the sewer-pipe L.

A float I is arranged in the tank D and is connected by means of a chain or cable I led over pulleys 1', arranged at the ceiling of the cellar, with the valvej of an auxiliary pump Jwhichis provided with a supply-pipe Jthat leads from the boiler of the heating plant of the building. This auxiliary pump J leads by a pipe is into the lower part of the coinpartment D of the tank D and is provided with a discharge-pipe that leads into the sewer-pipe L with the main overflow-pipe L.

Adraw-off pipeNleads from the lower part of the tank D into the lower part of the overflow-pipe L, so that when the use of the apparatus is to be discontinued, the valve N can be opened to permit all of the water in the tank to run 0E. The tankis preferably closed by means of a hinged lid D*.

The operation of my improved apparatus for melting snow is as follows: The cover 13 is removed from the melting-box and as many loaded carts as possible are backed tip to the box and the contents dumped into the same, the tank D having previously been filled up to the line of the overflow-pipe with water, which by means of the main-pump F is drawn off from the tank, pumped through the feedwater heater G,the supply-pipe H, (into the space between the melting-box and the jacket thereof,) and through the multifarious nipples n into the box 13. The main-pump forces the hot'water through the discharge-nipples in small streams so that the snow in the box is subjected to the melting action thereof, and the melted snow passes from there through the strainer M which is arranged in the bottom of the box over the necks C, from whence the melted snow is conducted by means of the discharge-pipe G into the tank D, thus completing the circuit or .round of operation. The excess of melted snow, and which by the way, is melted so as to be reduced to water, is led 01f from the tank through the overflowpipe L into the sewer-pipe L. Any foreign matter, such as small chips, &c., is prevented from passing to the overflow-pipe by means of the screen d. The mud collecting in the tank between the screens d, 01 may be removed by raising the cover D*. The dumping of the snow into the melting-box is continued as rapidly as possible so that the same can be melted and red need to water by means of the hot streams injected through the nipples, the melted snow or water being quickly led off into the tank D, while the water that remains below the overflow-pipe serves as su pply for the main-pump F and the feed-water heater G. It will be seen, therefore, that it is only necessary to first fill the tank with water, as the melted snow orwater flowingin V serves thereafter as a supply for the pump F. Like the screen d, the screen d also prevents the passage of chips and other foreign matter to the main pump F.

Should the capacity of the overflow-pipe L not be sulficient to draw the excess of water from the tank D as rapidly as is required, the

float I will be raised by the rising water so that the valve J of the auxiliary pump J will be opened and steam let into the pump through the pipe J, wherebyit is set into operation and serves as an auxiliary means for drawing the water from the tank and assisting the overflow-pipe L in discharging the excess of water into the sewer-pipe L. After the snow has been melted by my improved apparatus, it is reduced so thoroughly to its ordinarily used would be consumed by thisapparatus when placed in connection with the heating apparatus of a building, but if there is, such an increase in cost would be comparatively slight. It' will hence be seen that the cost of the apparatus or plant would soon be repaid by the cheapness in running the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an apparatus for melting snow, a melt ing-box provided with an inwardly-projecting series of nipples, a jacket surrounding the box, a discharge-pipe leading from the box, a supply-pipe leading to the jacket, and means connected with the supply-pipe for forcing hot water into the space between the jacket and the box and through the nipples into the box, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for melting snow, the combination, with a jacketed box provided with inlet nipples, and having a dischargepipe arranged below the same and connected with the interior of the box, of a tank into which said discharge-pipe leads, an overflowpipe leading from the tank to the sewer, a pump connected with the lower part of the tank, a feed-water heater connected with the jacket of the melting-box, substantially as set forth. W

4. In an apparatus for melting snow, the combination, with a series ,ofcinwardly-projecting nipples, a jacket surrounding the box, and a discharge-pipe leading from the box, of

a tank having an overflow-pipe at one end,

screens arranged in the tank and dividing the same into three compartments, into the middle one of which the discharge-pipe of the melting-box leads, while with one end coinpartment the overflow-pipe communicates, a pump having communication with the other end compartment, a feed-water heater, a pipe connecting the feed-water heater with the pump, and a supply-pipe leading from the feed-water heater to the jacket of the melting box substantially as set forth. I

5. In an apparatus for melting snow, the combination, with a melting-box provided with an inwardly-projecting series of nipples, a jacket around the box, and a discharge-pipe leading from the melting-box, of a tank into which the discharge-pipe leads, an overflowpipe communicating with the tank and leading to the sewer, a main pump connected with the tank, a feed-water heater, a supply-pipe leading from the feed-water heater to the jacket of the melting-box, an auxiliary pump, pipes for connecting the tank directly therethrough with the sewer-pipe, and a float arranged in the tank and connected with and operating the steam inlet-valve of the auxiliary pump, substantially as set forth.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in pres ence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL J. PIATTI.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. JAEKEL, GEO. L. WHEELOOK. 

